I am going to make a bold statement and this statement might cause me to lose whatever small number of friends I have remaining. GZA’s Liquid Swords is the best Wu-Tang Clan album. It features some of RZA’s crunchiest beats and has standout performances from every member of the Wu. As of late, I have been listening to Liquid Swords almost exclusively. It is amazing piece of art. GZA has even promised a Liquid Swords II, but who knows how long that will take – and if it will ever materialize.
In the mean time, we have the awesomeness of the original to enjoy. And in a recent television performance, Genius has never sounded better. Aided by the surf punks from Wavves, GZA delivers a fucking fantastic live rendition of the track. Sit back and enjoy. Then seek out Liquid Swords and revel in all its glory.
I’ve been pleased with the direction Nathan Williams has taken with his band since just before the addition of Jay Reatards’s former band-mates. The additions and subsequent music to come from the pairing has drastically altered my previously held opinions. As part of a forthcoming EP, new track “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl” continues my admiration of the progress Williams has made since his infamous live blowup a few years back.
I love the sunny nature and traditional rock song structures here. There are some killer hooks and Williams’ voice, or at least its implementation, has improved leaps and bounds. I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy the recent Wavves music as much as I have based on where things were for Williams a few years back. I’m glad for the change.
In anticipation of their upcoming stints supporting both Best Coast in their upcoming U.K. tour along with one date opening for Wavves, Sex Beet sent over a track for our listening perusal. It’s easy to tell why they have dates supporting those two bands, since they fit the garage band/lo-fi aesthetic to a T. ”Nice Hair/Nice Titties” is an older track I found when doing some googles on the band. It’s straightforward ballsy garage rock, fuzzy and raspy all the while. Even catchier is the track they sent over; “Sugar Water” is a bit more poppy, with a lighter keyboard accompaniment that goes along well with the edgier guitars.
There’s not much in the way of available info other than a few random blog posts about the band, but give their MySpace page a visit before you check out the two tracks below. He/they (someone in the band) also seem/s to be a blogger over at punkslime, so check that out if you’d like too.
I’m going to forego our normal recap of the week’s New Releases because it’s kind of a slow week. The big release (if you don’t have it already, or somehow we’re unaware) is from Arcade Fire, which you can grab for a paltry $4 over at Amazon today only. There’s also the general release of the Wavves album, and the sophomore release from Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band. Let’s get into another new band this morning:
There’s a jaunty confidence to the sophomore EP from Toronto’s Bravestation; they draw easy musical comparisons to Yeasayer, but they can sound like whoever you might want them to. The press release we were sent mentioned Foals, Vampire Weekend and Local Natives; my initial thought was of The Temper Trap.
Regardless of who they’re being compared to, the Canadian four-piece makes bold, expressive songs. There is a building undercurrent to each track on the EP, flowing throughout, providing the entire release with a breathless feeling. Before I realized it, I’d listened to the entire EP three times. You can get a track below, as well as another freebie at their Bandcamp page. If you’re not convinced by then, head over to their MySpace to stream the rest of the album. And then get yourself a copy over at iTunes.
The band has a handful of dates lined up in their hometown through the middle of September, which you can also view at their MySpace.
It’s been a long time coming, really. This is our very first mix in all our long months of existence. We’ve talked about the vast majority of these tracks at one point or another here on the blog, but we’ve arranged them in such a way as to produce maximum listening pleasure. (That’s not a lie. I’ve had this on repeat for about 2 weeks now.) You can get each track individually if you want to, or there’s a convenient zip file at the bottom if you just want to get them all in one shot.
Leave some love if you’re feeling up to it. Leave some hatred for leaving off a good song. Just get outside with some cold beverages, good friends and this mix. Turn it up loud. Do some daydrinking. Enjoy the rest of the summer.
001: Joywave - Ridge/Traveling At The Speed Of Light 7"
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Upcoming Western NY Concerts
NOTE: Concerts are in Rochester unless otherwise noted.
1/5: Les Racquet
1/12: Joywave with Old Tapes, Dave & Marissa
1/13: The Dads
1/14: My Brightest Diamond
1/17: Josh Netsky Band with Cuddle Magic
1/18: Tycho (Buffalo)
1/26: Avicii
1/26: A$AP Rocky (Buffalo)
1/28: The Crystal Method (Syracuse)
2/11: Blind Pilot (Ithaca)
2/22: William Fitzsimmons
2/24: Mike Doughty
2/25: Charles Bradley (Buffalo)
2/29: Summer People
3/3: Matthew Good
3/5: Evening Man
3/23: The Men
3/30: tympanogram’s 3rd Birthday with Born Gold, Old Tapes, TBA
4/20: fun.
4/23: Cults (Buffalo)
5/6: Bear In Heaven (Ithaca)
5/7: M83 (Buffalo)
an examination used to test the condition of the middle ear and mobility of the eardrum, and the conduction bones by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal.
Basically, it sounded like a cool name for a blog intended to be primarily about music. We’d both had other blogs previously, but over beers it was decided that more damage could be done as a joint venture. And here we are.
We share a passion for the undiscovered and under-appreciated, and hope that you’ll be able to find something you love as well.
Disclaimer
The music offered on this blog is for sampling purposes only. If you enjoy something you hear here, please go out and buy the music, see a show, or purchase some merchandise. Posted mp3s are available for a limited period of time only.
If there are any materials featured here that are your intellectual property, and you would prefer them removed, please notify us and we will be happy to oblige.
Contact Us
Do you have an artist or band you think we should hear? Please feel free to let us know and we'd be glad to give it a listen.
Submissions can be sent here, or email us for an address if you wish to send physical submissions.
Please note that we try our hardest to respond to all submissions, but we get a lot of requests, so we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Also, if you're interested in advertising on Tympanogram, feel free to get in touch with us here.
About the Author: Dave
I like music. I can't describe how I came to like the music I do, because I don't know how or why, I just do.
Many years ago, Napoleon's brother, my great-great-great-great-great-great Grandfather, came to America. He was asked his name on Ellis Island while being processed as an immigrant. Not understanding English, he was under the impression that he was being asked how he had arrived in the new land. So he turned around and pointed at the sea vessel and said, 'LaBarge.'
About the Author: Andy
I come by my music taste of my own free will. My friends listened to 2Pac, my parents to contemporary Christian and me? Sunny Day Real Estate. I can’t explain it.
“Music, true music, not just rock ’n’ roll, it chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone, listening to your headphones…” - Lester Bangs
![GZA Liquid Swords cover [video] GZA feat. Wavves // Liquid Swords](http://tympanogram.com/files/GZA-Liquid-Swords-cover.jpg "GZA Liquid Swords cover")
![meetdavegrohl [mp3] Wavves // I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl](http://tympanogram.com/files/meetdavegrohl.jpg "[mp3] Wavves // I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl")
![21 [mp3] Sex Beet: Sugar Water & Nice Hair/Nice Titties](http://tympanogram.com/files/21.jpg "2")
![2107212159 1 [mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://bandcamp.com/files/21/07/2107212159-1.jpg "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP")
I’m going to forego our normal recap of the week’s New Releases because it’s kind of a slow week. The big release (if you don’t have it already, or somehow we’re unaware) is from ![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003X73QA8 "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP"){kind=small}
, which you can grab for a paltry $4 over at Amazon today only. There’s also the general release of the ![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003V41LVY "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP"){kind=small}
, and the sophomore release from ![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003X3O87C "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP"){kind=small}
. Let’s get into another new band this morning:![mix cover [mp3/mix] Tympanogram Summer Mix: post spring](http://tympanogram.com/files/mix-cover.jpg "mix cover")
